This Monday, I officially entered the arctic circle. This elite section of the world includes only Alaska, Canada, Greenland, Russia, Norway, Sweden, and Finland. On another comped tour I was flown to Coldfoot and then driven further to Wiseman.
I sat in the cockpit on the way there, careful not to touch any of the knobs, pedals, or switches in front of me! Amazing views on the 1 1/2 hour flight there. After we landed, we were driven an additional 25 minutes on the Dalton Highway north. This road is known in Alaska for being the only one that runs fully through the north to the Arctic Sea.
In Wiseman, a town where only twelve people live year round, we received a tour of the grounds. The cabins are the same ones started during the time of the gold rush.
We learned about the way of life there in order to survive in such a rugged area. They burn through tons of wood during the winter to keep the inside of their cabin a toasty 70 degrees while it drops to negative 60 outside. They shovel snow onto the outer walls of their house to insulate it more efficiently. Since there is no grocery store for 190 miles, they garden potatoes, turnips, carrots, and cabbage during the summer months and hunt caribou.
Spencer was the pilot on the way back ;P
We have OFFICIALLY been to the Arctic!
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